less than three weeks the Bulgarian Third Army had suffered 23,405 casualties bud had received only 3,755 replacements which made General Toshev reluctant to undertake new attacks until the army received more substantial reinforcements. Now for the first time since the beginning of the campaign the Romanian high command had the initiative in Dobrudja and prepared a large offensive to encircle and destroy the Bulgarian Third Army (see the Flămânda Offensive). General Averescu planned to use the Dobrogea Army to attack the Bulgarian Third Army in an effort to breakthrough and link up with the reinforced Third Romanian Army which was to cross the Danube and advance in the rear of the Bulgarians. So by the end of September, the Romanian Army Group of the Southern Armies had amassed 14 infantry and 2 and one-half cavalry divisions as compared to 10 infantry, 1 cavalry division and 4 Călăraşi brigades in Transylvania. Averescu could count on 195 battalions, 55 squadrons and 169 batteries for the execution of his plan. Army group Mackensen was also strengthened with heavy artillery and on 24 September the entire VI Ottoman Corps joined the Bulgarian Third Army. In addition, the German 217th Infantry Division was also expected to arrive. With these reinforcements the field marshal could oppose the Romanians and Russians with 110 battalions, 30 squadrons and 72 batteries. On 1 October parts of the Romanian Third Army crossed the Danube at Ryahovo and began constructing a pontoon bridge. The Bulgarians and Germans had small forces in the area and the commander of the LII corps General Robert Kosch, who was tasked with protecting the Danube, dispatched additional forces from as far as Burgas. The Romanian operation soon stalled in the face of the bad weather, the determined resistance of the outnumbered defenders and the constant attacks of the Austrian Danube Flotilla on the bridge. Under these circumstances General Averescu canceled the operations. At the same time, the Dobrogea Army attacked the Bulgarian Third Army with superior forces and temporarily achieved limited success at the battle of Amzacea. The Ottoman VI Corps was particularly badly hit and had to abandon some of its positions leaving 2 batteries and several hundred men to be captured by the Romanians. With the help of a few fresh Bulgarian battalions and batteries urgently dispatched by General Toshev the situation was soon stabilized and the lost positions retaken. On 7 October